Resource information
Iraq appears to have firmly entered the
ranks of upper middle-income countries in 2012, having
experienced strong economic growth following the
establishment of a civilian elected government in 2005-06.
In 2012 the years of growth culminated in a per capita GDP
of 2472 constant 2005 US$. This three-volume poverty and
inclusion assessment provides the first in-depth analysis of
Iraq's economic and social development during the
period of 2007 to 2012. Volume 1 is an overview of the
economic climate in Iraq, providing brushstroke descriptions
of its poverty reduction plans, labor markets, public health
data, and education focal points. Volume 2 is a nine-chapter
report on the years between 2007 and 2012, a period of
relative stability in Iraq. 2007 marks the end of sectarian
violence, which lasted until 2012, prior to the militancy
and insurgency in the northern governorates of the summer of
2014. The country has been a nexus of conflict and fragility
since the early 1980s, and has experienced multiple types of
conflict: insurgency, international war, sectarian strife,
persistent terrorism, regional fragmentation, and spillovers
from conflict in other countries. What should have been a
promising endowment of natural resources of land, oil and
gas, as well of human capital, did not provide the
foundation for poverty reduction and shared prosperity. The
realization of potential was confounded by war and
repression. A key priority of the Government of Iraq since
2005-06 has been to fill the huge knowledge gap in terms of
a deeper understanding of the state of the economy and of a
range of socioeconomic indicators of welfare with the
objective of building a strong evidence base for effective
policy making. The rich analyses presented in this report go
well beyond counting the poor. It gives an incisive
understanding of the multi-layered development challenges
faced by the nation, which serves as a testament to the
commitment of the Government of Iraq, the staff of the
Central Statistics Office, and the Kurdistan Region
Statistics Office. It will form the basis for a new strategy
for Iraq's development and ensure broad-based welfare
improvements for the population. Volume 3 consists of nine
annexes and nine references in the forms of tables, boxes,
and equations used in the methodologies.
